This invention relates to a method and apparatus for treating the surface of an insulating strip. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for texturing the surface of an insulating strip, or alternatively, laminating a moisture vapor permeable layer onto the surface of an insulating strip.
When manufacturing multi-pane windows, it is necessary to seal the space between the window panes such that the panes are maintained at a fixed separation. One product which is frequently employed for this purpose is an insulating strip sold by Tremco, Inc. under the trade name SWIGGLE STRIP. Such insulating, or sealant, strips are typically made of butyl.
The insulating strip also contains a desiccant. When the temperature of the window drops below the dew point thereby causing the moisture vapor in the air trapped between the panes to condense, the desiccant within the insulating strip will absorb the moisture vapor. Therefore, the insulating strip acts to seal the window together, provide a consistent space between the panes of the window and prevent the accumulation of moisture on the inside of the window.
Double-pane windows as described above are typically fit with a frame which wraps around the edges of the window and covers the majority of the insulating strip. However, the side of the insulating strip which is exposed to the air trapped inside the window usually remains visible even after the window has been installed.
A typical insulating strip has a high gloss finish. In some applications, however, a high gloss finish may be objectionable. Particularly if the window frame has a flat finish, a high gloss insulating strip would not be desirable.
Because the insulating strip is black in color, its visibility, regardless of the sheen, is frequently undesirable. For example, if the window frame is white, the black insulating strip will obviously provide a great deal of contrast with the window frame. The manufacturer or consumer may prefer that the insulating strip not appear so dominant when the window is viewed in its installed position.
Apart from the aesthetic appearance of the insulating strip, the desiccating ability of the insulating strip may decrease over time if the insulating strip is stored for a substantial time between its manufacture and installation into a window. Insulating strips are typically manufactured with a release paper sealing the sides of the insulating strip. However, over time this seal may fail, causing the desiccant exposed to the ambient air to exhaust its absorbency by absorbing any moisture in the air to which it is exposed.
An additional problem which can arise in connection with the use of the insulating strip is that the integrity of its cross section is not always adequately preserved from the time the insulating strip is manufactured and to the time it is installed in a window. Although manufactured according to given tolerances, because of the pliable nature of the insulating strip, the consistency of the dimensions of the insulating strip may easily be disrupted as the insulating strip is handled. The possibility of the integrity of the dimensions of the insulating strip being disrupted increases as the insulating strip is handled prior to its installation into a window.
One of the primary functions of the insulating strip is to act as a spacer between the two panes of the window into which it is installed. If the insulating strip is not of constant dimensions, the two panes of the window may not be in parallel planes. Also, inconsistencies in the dimensions of the insulating strip may result in a faulty seal between the insulating strip and the panes of the window.
Thus, although the butyl insulating strip has gained widespread acceptance for use as a window sealant, certain difficulties with its use do exist. Therefore, it will be appreciated that what is needed in the art are methods and apparatus for treating the surface of an insulating strip thereby altering the appearance of the surface which is visible following its installation into a window.
Indeed, it would be an advancement in the art if such methods and apparatus could alter the sheen of the insulating strip. It would be an additional advancement in the art if such methods and apparatus could be employed to alter the appearance of the color of the insulating strip.
It would be yet a further advancement in the art if methods and apparatus could be provided for enhancing the desiccating ability of the insulating strip. It would be an additional advancement in the art if such methods and apparatus could also restore the integrity of the dimensions of the profile of the insulating strip prior to its installation into a window.
Such methods and apparatus are disclosed and claimed herein.